I am pleased to relay the events of filming "Dr Who and the Pirates"
on the "Bonny Mary".

The evening before the event, carpenters and a lorry load of wood arrived
at the quayside to build the bow up into the sterncastle likened to a galleon.

The next morning the film crew and actors arrived with all the entourage,
one of the well-known actors with a strong sounding Yorkshire-like accent
was the life and soul of the scene.

As we were about to depart amid cheers, catcalls and horns blowing,
I was approached by one of the film officials inquiring about toilet
facilities for females; all I could produce was a bucket which
apparently satisfied the rules.

To any spectator the whole episode was like a comic opera.

A northwest gale was blowing, the only lee for calmer seas was along
the western shoreline. It took me 1/2 hour to reach the calmest spot,
by this time the maintenance staff were feeling ill with seasickness,
with the exception of the aforementioned actor who was in fits of laughter.

We started to film, anybody that was not actors stayed quiet behind the
wheelhouse, I felt sympathetic to some of the actors who were doing a good
job under the circumstances and had to break off in the middle of their
lines to make a dash to the boat's side to spew.

We persevered and finished the day's filming. The next day was better
weather and we finished the episode satisfactorily.

I eventually sold the "Bonny Mary" for a bigger boat "Girl Patricia",
whom I went into partnership with a shipmate. The new owner of "Bonny Mary"
eventually succumbed to the bureaucratic vandalism of breaking up the
boat in return for decommissioning money, and I have a piece of her on my
shelf in the form of a candlestick.